1978 FIFA World Cup Final
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1978 FIFA World Cup Final

1978 FIFA World Cup Final
002.Buenos Aires desde el cielo (Estadio de River).JPG
The Estadio Monumental held the final
Event1978 FIFA World Cup
After extra time
Date25 June 1978
VenueEstadio Monumental, Buenos Aires
RefereeSergio Gonella (Italy)

The 1978 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match played to determine the winner of the 1978 FIFA World Cup. The match was contested by hosts Argentina and the Netherlands, in the biggest stadium used in the tournament and in Argentina, the Estadio Monumental in the Argentine capital city of Buenos Aires. The match was won by the Argentine squad in extra time by a score of 3–1. Mario Kempes, who finished as the tournament's top scorer, was named the man of the match. The Netherlands lost their second World Cup final in a row, both times to the host nation, after losing to West Germany in 1974.

Route to the final

Argentina Round Netherlands
Opponent Result First round Opponent Result
 Hungary 2-1 Match 1  Iran 3-0
 France 2-1 Match 2  Peru 0-0
 Italy 0-1 Match 3  Scotland 2-3
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Italy 3 3 0 0 6 2 +4 6
 Argentina 3 2 0 1 4 3 +1 4
 France 3 1 0 2 5 5 0 2
 Hungary 3 0 0 3 3 8 -5 0
Final standing
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Peru 3 2 1 0 7 2 +5 5
 Netherlands 3 1 1 1 5 3 +2 3
 Scotland 3 1 1 1 5 6 -1 3
 Iran 3 0 1 2 2 8 -6 1
Opponent Result Second round Opponent Result
 Poland 2-0 Match 1  Austria 5-1
 Brazil 0-0 Match 2  West Germany 2-2
 Peru 6-0 Match 3  Italy 2-1
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Argentina 3 2 1 0 8 0 +8 5
 Brazil 3 2 1 0 6 1 +5 5
 Poland 3 1 0 2 2 5 -3 2
 Peru 3 0 0 3 0 10 -10 0
Final standing
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Netherlands 3 2 1 0 9 4 +5 5
 Italy 3 1 1 1 2 2 0 3
 West Germany 3 0 2 1 4 5 -1 2
 Austria 3 1 0 2 4 8 -4 2



Mario Kempes scoring the first goal of the match

The start of the final was mired in controversy, as the Dutch accused the Argentines of using stalling tactics to delay the match, causing tension to build in front of a hostile Buenos Aires crowd. The host team eventually came out five minutes late after the audience was whipped into a frenzy. The Argentines also questioned the legality of a plaster cast on René van de Kerkhof's wrist, despite him having worn it in earlier games without objections, causing the Dutch to threaten to walk off the pitch; the Italian referee, Sergio Gonella, upheld the complaints and forced Van de Kerkhof to apply extra bandage.[1][2][3] In retaliation, the Netherlands team refused to attend the post-match ceremonies.[4]

Captain Daniel Passarella raising the trophy

The match itself saw a number of fouls, and a hostile atmosphere. Ticker tape and confetti in the stadium worked its way onto the pitch. Mario Kempes scored the first goal of the match, slotting under Jan Jongbloed from 12 yards out. The Netherlands almost equalised when Rob Rensenbrink latched onto to a headed pass from René van de Kerkhof, but the shot was kept out by the boot of Ubaldo Fillol. The Dutch would eventually equalise when René van de Kerkhof's cross found substitute Dick Nanninga, who headed home the equaliser. The Dutch could have won the game in the final minutes, when Rensenbrink latched onto a long ball poking a shot past Fillol, but the shot bounced off the post, and the match went to extra time. Kempes would net the eventual winner in the 105th minute after running into the box, evading two Dutch sliding tackles as he did so. Kempes' shot was saved by Jongbloed and Kempes jumped to avoid him, but the ball bounced off of Jongbloed and hit Kempes twice, first in the knee, then in the foot, before bouncing of Jongbloed's head, all before Kempes had even landed. The ball bounced high in the air, and two Dutch defenders came rushing to clear the ball from the open goal. Although the goal was officially given to Kempes, the replay from behind the goal showed that the ball might have come off Wim Suurbier last.[]

Daniel Bertoni sealed the game in the second half of extra time after Kempes made a long run into the box, and was tackled by a Dutch defender. The ball ricocheted several times before landing at the feet of Bertoni, who had a clear sight of goal inside the box. Jongbloed was unsighted by the ricochet, and was thus out of position, allowing Bertoni to slot in easily.[5]


ARG-NED 1978-06-25.svg
GK 8 Jan Jongbloed
SW 5 Ruud Krol (c) Yellow card 15
RB 6 Wim Jansen Substituted off 75
CB 22 Ernie Brandts
LB 2 Jan Poortvliet Yellow card 96
RM 13 Johan Neeskens
CM 9 Arie Haan
LM 11 Willy van de Kerkhof
RF 10 René van de Kerkhof
CF 16 Johnny Rep Substituted off 58
LF 12 Rob Rensenbrink
DF 4 Adrie van Kraay
DF 17 Wim Rijsbergen
FW 18 Dick Nanninga Substituted in 58
GK 19 Pim Doesburg
DF 20 Wim Suurbier Yellow card 94 Substituted in 75
Austria Ernst Happel

Assistant referees
Ramón Barreto (Uruguay)
Erich Linemayr (Austria)

Match rules

  • 90 minutes
  • 30 minutes of extra time if scores level
  • Replay on 27 June if scores still level
  • Five substitutes named, maximum of two used


  1. ^ "2 goal Kempes sinks the Dutch". Glasgow Herald. 26 June 1978. p. 23. Retrieved 2014.
  2. ^ "Where are they now: Argentina 1978". Goal.com. 9 February 2009. Retrieved 2014.
  3. ^ "The story of the 1978 World Cup". BBC Sport. 18 May 2010. Retrieved 2014.
  4. ^ CNN/SI - World Cup France '98 - The Netherlands pay back controversial loss to Argentina - Saturday July 4, 1998
  5. ^ http://www.popflock.com/video?id=2EwfHjbeNV8

External links




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